Prehung door structure

ABSTRACT

A PREHUNG DOOR STRUCTURE HAVING A WALL FRAME, A DOOR FRAME AND HINGES MOUNTING THE DOOR FRAME TO THE WALL FRAME, THE DOOR FRAME, WALL FRAMES AND THE HINGES BEING EXTRUDED. THE WALL FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR RECEIVING THE LEG PORTION OF WALL HINGE SECTIONS AND FASTENING THE LEG PORTIONS TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL FRAME, WHILE THE DOOR FRAME AND DOOR HINGE SECTIONS ARE PROVIDED WITH INTERLOCKING MEMBERS PERMITTING THE SLIDING OF THE DOOR HINGE SECTIONS AND FASTENED INTO POSITION.

March 2, 1971 H, B. msm-w 3,566,539

PREHUNG DOOR STRUCTURE Filed July 4ff, 1969 HERB B. RIDGLEY United States Patent Office 3,566,539 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 3,566,539 PREHUNG DOOR STRUCTURE Herb B. Ridgley, 6500 SW. 111th St., Miami, Fla. 33156 Filed July 7, 1969, Ser. No. 839,601 Int. Cl. E06b 3/32 U.S. Cl. 49-380 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prehung door structure having a wall frame, a door frame and hinges mounting the door frame to the wall frame, the door frame, wall frames and the hinges being extruded. The wall frame having a plurality of openings for receiving the leg portion of wall hinge sections and fastening the leg portions to the inner surface of the wall frame, while the door frame and door hinge sections are provided with interlocking members permitting the sliding of the door hinge sections and fastened into position.

This invention relates generally to door structures and is more particularly directed to a combined door, door frame and hinges forming a prehung door.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a prehung door having a door hingedly mounted on a frame which reduces to a minimum the amount of skilled labor and other costs normally required to hang a door in place on a frame in a building under construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a prehung door with hinges fabricated by the extrusion process thereby reducing the cost thereof decidedly and producing a hinge which is extremely strong and durable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a prehung door and frame with hinges securing the door to the frame wherein all that need be done by a carpenter to hang the door is place the assembly in an opening in a wall and fasten the frame to the wall.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door and frame showing hinge structure constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective fragmentary exploded view of the hinge structure as seen mounted on the door frame.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross sectional views taken along the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers to a door upon Which my hinge structure or assemblies H are mounted for swingingly supporting the door `10 on a wall 11 at an opening I12 on which there is mounted a vertical frame member WF. My hinge assembly H consists of two interengaging hinge portions WH and DH mounted on the Wall frame member WF and door frame DF respectively. Itis to be noted that all of the parts forming the Wall frame WF, door frame DF, wall hinge portion WH and door hinge portion DH are preferably of aluminum and produced by the extruded process which is more economical and requires less production time than the die casting or molding process.

The wall frame WF which extends about the three sides of the opening 12 in the Wall 11 consists of an L-shaped member having leg portions 13 and 14 at right angle to each other engaging the wall 11 at their foot portions 15, 16. The wall frame WF is fastened by screws (not shown) to the wall 11. On the leg portion 14 is a slotted portion 17 for receiving a vinyl weatherstripping member 18. The leg portion 13 terminates short of the width of the wall 11 and has a box shaped member 19 for both ornamental purpose and for supporting a slotted portion 20 that receives a vinyl weatherstripping member 21. The leg portion 14 of the wall frame WF is provided with a slot 22 for receiving flange portions 23, -24 of the wall hinge portion WH, the flange portion 24 extending at right angle to the ange portion 23 and engaging the inner surfaces of the leg portions 13, 14 respectively, where the latter are spot welded or otherwise fastened to secure the wall hinge portion WH to the wall frame WF. A pair of Wall hinge knuckles 25 that are in spaced relation to each other are secured at one edge of an olf-set portion 26 whose length is equal to the thickness of the leg portion 14 while the other edge is secured to the flange portion 23. Aligned bores 27 are formed in the knuckles 25 for receiving a pintle 28 which extend through a bore 29 in the Iknuckle 30 of the door hinge portion DH. In the extrusion process of producing the wall hinge portions WH the latter are cut to the desired lengths and then the mid-portion of the knuckle section is cut therefrom leaving the slot 31 for receiving the door hinge portion knuckle 30.

The door frame DF for supporting the door hinge DH consists of an elongated web member 37 extending vertically of the door 10 adjacent the -wall frame WF While the other sides 32, 33 of the door frame are conventional in construction and form no part of the present invention. Shown positioned within the four sides of the door frame is a solid panel 38 though there can be mounted therein glass or metal jalousies, a glass panel or other structure found in conventional doors. The outer surface of the elongated member 37 is slotted as at 39 adjacent the edges for receiving an ornamental panel 40.

The elongated member 37 is provided with a pair of ange portions 41 and 42 that extend at right angle adjacent their edge portions. Both flange portions 41 and 42 are olf-set at their juncture with elongated member 37 as at 43 and 44, while the other ends are provided with flange portions 45 and 46 upon which a panel 47 extends with a screw 48 securing the panel to the flange portion 46. A vinyl trim 49 covers the screw 48 having an edge portion received by a slotted portion 50 formed by an L- shaped member S1 formed on the outer surface of the flange portion 46. The vinyl trim 49 engages the vinyl weatherstripping 21 when the doors are in a closed position to form a weathertight juncture.

The off-set portion 44 forms an open slotted portion 52 having a shoulder member '53 mounted along the open edge of the slotted portion 52. The slotted portion 52 receives the free edge of a hinge plate 54 that is secured at one edge to the knuckle 30, the free edge being provided with a slot 55 identical in cross section with the shoulder 53 to receive the shoulder 53. Adjacent the free end portion of the hinge plate 54 is a ange portion 58 extending at right angle engaging and welded to the liange portion 41. A lip portion 56 extending parallel and spaced relation to the hinge plate 54 to form a slot 57, receives the edge portion of the elongated member 37 so that when mounting the door hinge DH on the door frame DF, the door hinges DH are inserted into position at the open top or bottom edges of the door frame DF and slid to their proper positions -where they are spot welded or otherwise secured to the elongated member 37 at the position of the hinge plate 54.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawing, it is noted that my door may be readily prehung at the factory or place of fabrication. All of the parts constituting the door frame and hinges are extruded and then cut to proper lengths. The mid-portion of the knuckle 25 of the wall hinge WH is removed and inserted and welded into position on the wall frame WF. Then the door hinges DH are slid and welded into position on the door frame DF. The door 10 is then hung into position with the knuckle 30 ofthe door hinge DH inserted between the knuckles 25 of the wall hinge WH and the pintle 28 inserted into the bores 27 and 29 of the knuckles 25 and 30. The prehung door assembly 10 is now ready to be positioned in the opening 12 in the wall 11 and fastened therein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters -Patent of the United States is:

1. A prehung door structure comprising a door hingedly mounted on an elongated wall frame member, said frame member having a pair of leg portions extending at substantially right angle to each other, one of said leg portions having a plurality of spaced longitudinal slots, a plurality of wall frame hinge sections, each of said hinge sections having a pair of spaced knuckles, a ange portion secured to and extending from said knuckles said flange portion extending through one of said slots and lying along said one of said leg portions, a further portion extending at right angle to said first named flange portion and lying along and engaging said other of said leg portions, means securing said flange portions to said leg portion, an elongated door frame member mounted on said door and extending along and adjacent said wall frame member, said door frame member having a web portion and a leg portion extending at right angle thereto adjacent one edge thereof, said door frame leg portion being joined to said web portion by an off-set portion forming a slot extending substantially the full length of said door frame member, a shoulder mounted on said web portion within said slot, a plurality of door hinges, each of said door hinges having a knuckle mounted between said spaced knuckles of said wall frame hinge, said door hinge knuckles having a hinge plate extending along an inner surface of said web member and received by said lo slot of said off-set portion, a groove formed on said hinge plates receiving said shoulder, a lip portion extending from said door hinge knuckle and engaging the outer surface of said web member, said hinge plates having a flange portion extending at right angle and lying along 15 and engaging said leg portion of said door frame member, means securing said flange portion of saidV hinge plate of said door hinge knuckles to said leg portion of said door frame member and a pintle received by openings in all of said knuckles permitting the pivotal movement of said door on said wall frame member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,903,735 9/1959 Schneider l6--l35X 3,077,630 2/1963 Lipman 16-128 3,216,053 1l/l965 Felix 16-128 3,287,853 ll/l966 Silverman 16-128 3,298,135 l/l967 Kinser 49--380 KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 16-135; 49-400 

